Health care law turns to social media in Ill.

Associated Press

CHICAGO

Inside a command center at a Chicago marketing agency, a small team of social-media experts hunkers down to monitor online chatter about President Barack Obama’s health care law, answer questions on Facebook from discouraged consumers and post information on Twitter.

They are holding down the fort for a $33 million ad campaign planned for Get Covered Illinois, the new health insurance marketplace that’s a cornerstone of the law, also known as “Obamacare,” in what is arguably the biggest social- media campaign rolled out by the state of Illinois.

As the state-contracted agency pivots away from a full-force marketing barrage because of early technical problems with the law’s federal website, the social media team has assumed responsibility for educating consumers and tending to their frustrations in Obama’s home state.

“Application has been pending for days. #gettingimpatient,” read one incoming tweet last week, a few days before The Associated Press was given an exclusive peek inside the command center at FleishmanHillard.

“We’re making sure we’re listening and we’re supportive and we’re there for them when they’re having difficulties,” said Meg Poulelis, 28, who leads the team and worked previously on social media accounts for Gatorade and Chevrolet.

Compared with other states, Illinois is in an unusual spot, with millions to spend on promotion but no control over fixing the federal site’s technical glitches. Most of the other 35 states relying on Washington to run their marketplaces are led by Republicans who’ve been hostile to the law and have done nothing to promote it. States promoting the law generally are running their own marketplaces.

Months before the rollout of the law’s marketplaces, one for every state, Illinois officials envisioned a social media marketing push aimed at uninsured healthy young adults, a key demographic for the law’s success.

The campaign would use Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to convince young people to buy health insurance. It would be part of an ad blitz with TV, radio, and billboards.

While most Republican-led states are taking a hands-off approach, Illinois sought federal grants that could be used for advertising. The $33 million campaign is funded entirely by those grants.

Illinois went live with Twitter and Facebook on Oct. 1, the same day the federal healthcare.gov site launched — and then failed under a crush of users.

Now, nearly three weeks after the launch, the social media campaign is underway, but it’s muted.